Must we make Salah in Arabic alone?

[Eien]

Asalamu Alaikum all,

I have heard over many years that one should be performing fard prayers in Arabic alone. I believe this is the source of the problem in which Muslims are 'praying' but don't know what they are saying.

I am looking for evidence that the mandatory prayers must be performed in Arabic. If there is no evidence, then I believe we should be concious of this. While it may be preferrable to preform salah in Arabic, I feel one shouldn't be pressured into doing this. If there is evidence, then we should work harder to emphasize the importance of knowing what is being said!

[greenhill]

I believe this is the source of the problem in which Muslims are 'praying' but don't know what they are saying.

We should learn the meaning. That should be part of our goal, not just to memorize it parrot fashion. I guess it is ok in the beginning but imagine praying for tens of years and we still do not know what it is we are reciting. That is just plain lazy.

But to change the words into our mother tongue is definitely not the way as we depend on people's interpretation of the meanings and it may not be accurate. What if the translation is one that was Arabic to English and then English to the other language, how dilute it would become?

I give another example, our shahada, it translates as "I bear witness . . .". Now, when or how did we ever bear witness? I'd rather say it in Arabic as it would be what is said originally, not what someone think is appropriate to say, 'I bear witness...' being the closest thing we could get to it. But it is NOT the same.

If people over generations could learn to recite the Arabic version, then we, a much more educated people of the world now, should be able to do it easily and learn the meanings too!


Peace :shade:

[Ali Mujahidin]

The problem is not with people praying in Arabic without understanding what they are saying. The problem, where I live at least, is that the ustazes who are teaching the Quran keep on telling their students to read the Quran and learn the meaning later. So their students just simply keep on reading the Quran and has yet to start learning the meaning even when the students are already old.

I believe the true solution is to teach the Arabic language first, then teach the Quran. Of course, there are mandatory parts which we must learn to recite first even though we do not know the meaning. However, if we make it a normal process to teach the Arabic language first, we would be able to read the Quran with more understanding.

So how difficult is it to learn the Arabic language?

I have posed this question to many people who teach the Arabic language and the unanimous answer was "it's very difficult to learn the Arabic language". Frankly I cannot understand this attitude. The Thai language has about double the number of letters and many times more vowels, yet it is possible to learn the Thai language within a few months. I think it's all a matter of attitude. If the teachers themselves think that it is difficult, then what hope do the students have.

I think it is high time to revamp the entire system of teaching the Arabic language. Is anyone interested in such a project?

[ahsankhan]

i agree learning the meaning of the arabic which we recite during salah will lead us to achieve far more greater goals then reciting the salah in once mother tongue.

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[Eien]

I agree with the points that have been mentioned here. The learning of Arabic is of importance, as is (I believe) reciting in the Arabic languagebut only with understanding.

That is why I am wondering if it is necessary to make recitations in Arabic, as I believe many have been taught. If it is, then there is no debate, but if not I believe it warrants a difference in the way we are guided in our religion. By placing emphasis on the importance of understanding, but of course making clear that Arabic is the only true language of the revelation.

Let me illustrate what I think is a common scenario for those who do not grow up 1) knowing Arabic, or 2) attending an Islamic school. This is also from personal experience. Initally, we are taught the translation of what we are saying in Arabic. But, we are also taught that we must make our salat in Arabic, so we strive to memorize the Arabic. Initially, we know what we are saying and but we are trying hard to commit the Arabic to memory. Then time passes, we are performing Salat easily in Arabic but the meaning has become more general and slightly vague. We forget the distinction between, 'Subhana Rabbi Atheem' and 'Subhana Rabbi'l A'la'. The last 3 ayat of Al-Fatiha become a general concept. And on. Finally we may forget the majority of the prayer all together and we don't realize until we have a shocking moment, when we might make a mistake in the recitation, and think 'Wow, what was I even just saying then!'

It wasn't until I devoted myself to truly studying the Arabic words, meaning by meaning, and conciously performed my salat comparing the Arabic I was speaking to my understanding, did my prayers actually feel fulfilling in the way they are meant to. Even today, when I am a bit more distracted, I will begin to pray in English to focus myself because the understanding of my words is spontaneous. I think back to the years when I was just 'making Salat in Arabic' and I realize why my deen wasn't so strong. The central point of my worship was something that wasn't even understood by me!

Again, I'm not discrediting the importance of knowing Arabic or reciting in Arabic at all. But, I want to highlight the importance of understanding, and promoting understanding first. If there is nothing barring us from reciting in our native language, that should be known and accepted. If it is evidenced that we should only be reciting in Arabic, then we really need to be stepping up our efforts in promoting understanding!

[greenhill]

I feel what you say.

I struggle. I do my daily prayers because I have to, want to, I need to and at times I even look forward to it. From there alone I already see that I'm not consistent. Let alone the times when I rushed through, shorten parts, skip parts and and times when the opposite is the case. It is when I do take the time and as I slowly recite with my tongue with the Arabic words whispering out with my breath, in my mind I go through it in the language I understand. That way I find it stops me from having my mind wondering off.

In a way, I find it a blessing that I can use. . . If I choose to. . .

Keeping on the straight path is a constant battle. It is so easy to be complacent. imsad

Keep up the struggle.

Peace :shade: